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<FONT COLOR="#FFFFFF">
<CENTER><B>CHAPTER 18.&nbsp; PERSONAL PRONOUNS</B></CENTER></FONT></TD></TR></TABLE><BR>
<BR>

<!--page 192-->
Pronouns are words which can be used in the place of nouns. The personal pronouns
in the following sentences are underlined.<BR>
e.g. <U>She</U> will do the work <U>herself</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <U>They</U> gave <U>it</U> to <U>him</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <U>We</U> want to know <U>who</U> was there.<BR>
<BR>
In the following examples, pronouns are used in the place of nouns,
instead of repeating the nouns.<BR>
e.g. I saw a <U>boy</U> on the steps. <U>He</U> seemed to recognize me.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; My <U>friend</U> and her <U>brother</U> like to ski. <U>They</U> ski whenever <U>they</U> can.<BR>
In the first example, the pronoun <B>he</B> is used instead of repeating the
noun <B>boy</B>. In the second example, the pronoun <B>they</B> is used instead
of repeating the nouns <B>friend</B> and <B>brother</B>.<P>
&nbsp;<BR>

<A NAME="1"></A>
<CENTER><B>1. The subjective case</B></CENTER><BR>

The following English personal pronouns were listed in Chapter 1. They
are usually referred to as indicated below:<BR>
<BR>
<TABLE  border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<TR><TD>&nbsp; </TD><TD><U><B>Singular</B></U></TD><TD><U><B>Plural</B></U></TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; First Person</TD><TD>&nbsp; I</TD><TD>&nbsp; we</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; Second Person</TD><TD>&nbsp; you</TD><TD>&nbsp; you</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; Third Person</TD><TD>&nbsp; he, she, it</TD><TD>&nbsp; they</TD></TR>
</TABLE>
<BR>
Thus, <B>I</B> is referred to as the <B>first person singular</B>; <B>we</B> is referred
to as the <B>first person plural</B>; <B>you</B> is referred to as the <B>second person</B>;
<B>he</B>, <B>she</B> and <B>it</B> are referred to as the <B>third person singular</B>; and
<B>they</B> is referred to as the <B>third person plural</B>.<BR>
<BR>
These pronouns are said to be in the <B>subjective case</B>, because they can
each be used as the subject of a verb. In the following examples, the
personal pronouns in the subjective case are underlined.<BR>
e.g. <U>I</U> am ready.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <U>He</U> is fortunate.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <U>She</U> is a teacher.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <U>It</U> is raining.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <U>We</U> are coming.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <U>You</U> are right.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <U>They</U> are determined.<BR>
<BR>
The agreement of verbs with subjects which are personal pronouns has
been discussed in previous chapters.<P>
&nbsp;<BR>

<!--page 193-->
<A NAME="2"></A>
<CENTER><B>2. Agreement of personal pronouns with their antecedents</B></CENTER><BR>

The pronoun <B>I</B> is used to refer to the speaker or writer. The pronoun
<B>you</B> is used to refer to one or more persons or things which are being
addressed by the speaker or writer. The pronoun <B>we</B> is normally used
to refer to the speaker or writer together with one or more other people.<BR>
<A NAME="2an"></A>
<BR>
When a pronoun stands for a noun which has already been mentioned, the
noun is sometimes referred to as the <B>antecedent</B> of the pronoun.<BR>
e.g. The <U>apples</U> are cheap, but <U>they</U> are not ripe yet.<BR>
In the preceding example, the noun <B>apples</B> is the antecedent of the
pronoun <B>they</B>.<BR>
<BR>
The antecedents of pronouns usually precede the pronouns. However, a
pronoun may also stand for a noun which follows the pronoun, provided
that it is obvious to what the pronoun is referring.<BR>
e.g. Because <U>they</U> are sour, the <U>apples</U> will be used for cooking.<BR>
In this example, the pronoun <B>they</B> stands for the noun <B>apples</B>, which
occurs later In the sentence.<BR>
<BR>

<A NAME="2a"></A>
<B>a. Male and female antecedents</B><BR>
The third person singular pronouns <B>he</B> and <B>she</B> are the only pronouns
in the subjective case which are differentiated with respect to gender.
The pronoun <B>he</B> is used to refer to male antecedents, and the pronoun
<B>she</B> is used to refer to female antecedents.<BR>
e.g. A <U>girl</U> was sitting on the steps. <U>She</U> was waiting for her friend.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; A <U>boy</U> was delivering papers. <U>He</U> seemed to be in a hurry.<BR>
In the above examples, the pronoun <B>she</B> agrees with the female antecedent
<B>girl</B>, and the pronoun <B>he</B> agrees with the male antecedent <B>boy</B>.<BR>
<BR>

<A NAME="2b"></A>
<B>b. Singular and plural antecedents</B><BR>
English third person pronouns are also differentiated with respect to
number. If the antecedent of a pronoun is singular, a singular pronoun
must be used. If the antecedent of a pronoun is plural, a plural pronoun
must be used.<BR>
e.g. I have one <U>watch</U>. <U>It</U> is quite accurate.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I have two <U>watches</U>. <U>They</U> are quite accurate.<BR>
<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; This is my <U>sister</U>. <U>She</U> is younger than I am.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; These are my <U>sisters</U>. <U>They</U> are younger than I am.<BR>
<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; This is my <U>brother</U>. <U>He</U> is older than I am.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; These are my <U>brothers</U>. <U>They</U> are older than I am.<BR>
<BR>
In the above examples, the singular pronouns <B>it</B>, <B>he</B> and <B>she</B> agree
with the singular antecedents <B>watch</B>, <B>sister</B> and <B>brother</B>. The
plural pronoun <B>they</B> agrees with the plural antecedents <B>watches</B>, <B>sisters</B>
and <B>brothers</B>.<BR>
<BR>
As illustrated above, the third person plural pronoun <B>they</B> can be used
to stand for either male or female antecedents.<BR>
e.g. The <U>men</U> liked to play cards. <U>They</U> took turns keeping score.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The <U>women</U> came, but <U>they</U> did not stay long.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The <U>men and women</U> greeted each other. <U>They</U> all knew one another.<BR>
<BR>

<!--page 194-->
<A NAME="2c"></A>
<B>c. Human and non-human antecedents</B><BR>
The third person singular pronouns <B>he</B>, <B>she</B> and <B>it</B> usually
distinguish between antecedents which refer to human beings, and
antecedents which refer to things which are not human. The pronouns
<B>he</B> and <B>she</B> usually refer to human beings. However, <B>he</B> or <B>she</B>
may also be used to refer to an animal, if the gender of the animal is
known to the speaker or writer.<BR>
e.g. My <U>aunt</U> is very intelligent. <U>She</U> has a degree in philosophy.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; His <U>brother</U> was not there, because <U>he</U> had to work late.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Your <U>dog</U> is well trained. <U>He</U> is a good guard dog.<BR>
In the first two examples, <B>he</B> and <B>she</B> are used to refer to human
beings. In the third example, <B>he</B> is used to refer to an animal.<BR>
<BR>
If a third person singular antecedent does not refer to a human being,
the pronoun <B>it</B> is usually used. However, when the thing named by the
antecedent is referred to as if it had human qualities, the pronoun <B>he</B>
or <B>she</B> may be used. For instance, ships and countries are sometimes
referred to as <B>she</B>.<BR>
e.g. There is a <U>robin</U> on the lawn. <U>It</U> has a nest in that tree.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; This is a good <U>book</U>. <U>It</U> is interesting and well-written.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The <I><U>Bonnie Belle</U></I> is a sailing ship. <U>She</U> is very seaworthy.<BR>
In the first two examples, <B>it</B> is used to refer to things which are not
human. In the third example, <B>she</B> is used to refer to a thing which is
not human.<BR>
<BR>
The third person plural pronoun <B>they</B> can stand for either human or
non-human antecedents.<BR>
e.g. The <U>children</U> bought ice cream, because <U>they</U> felt hungry.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The <U>umbrellas</U> are popular, because <U>they</U> are inexpensive.<BR>
In the first example, <B>they</B> stands for the human antecedent <B>children</B>.
In the second example, <B>they</B> stands for the non-human antecedent
<B>umbrellas</B>.<BR>
<A NAME="2cag"></A>
<BR>
The main rules for the agreement of the third person pronouns <B>he</B>,
<B>she</B>, <B>it</B> and <B>they</B> with their antecedents can be summarized as
follows:<BR>
<BR>
<CENTER><B>Agreement of Third Person Pronouns with their Antecedents</B></CENTER><BR>
<TABLE  border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<TR><TD><U><B>Pronoun</B></U></TD><TD><U><B>Antecedent</B></U></TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; he</TD><TD>&nbsp; singular, male, usually human</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; she</TD><TD>&nbsp; singular, female, usually human</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; it</TD><TD>&nbsp; singular, non-human</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; they</TD><TD>&nbsp; plural</TD></TR>
</TABLE><BR>
<BR>
See <A HREF="gramex18.html#1">Exercises 1</A> and <A HREF="gramex18.html#2">2</A>.<BR>
<A NAME="2cun"></A>
<BR>
A pronoun should not be used to stand for a noun, unless it is obvious
to which noun the pronoun is referring. For instance, in the following
examples, it is not clear to which nouns the underlined pronouns refer.<BR>
e.g. My friend was there with her mother. <U>She</U> was wearing a blue dress.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The children stared at the horses. <U>They</U> were ready to start.<BR>

<!--page 195-->
In the first example, the pronoun <B>she</B> could stand either for the noun
<B>friend</B> or for the noun <B>mother</B>. Similarly, in the second example, the
pronoun <B>they</B> could stand for either <B>children</B> or <B>horses</B>.<BR>
<BR>
In written English, when it is not obvious to which antecedent a pronoun
refers, the relevant sentence should be corrected. This can be done either
by repeating the noun, instead of using a pronoun; or by rewriting the
sentence to make the meaning clear. For instance, the preceding examples
could be corrected as follows. It will be assumed that <B>she</B> refers to
<B>friend</B>, and that <B>they</B> refers to <B>horses</B>.<BR>
e.g. My friend was there with her mother. My friend was wearing a blue dress.<BR>
&nbsp; <B>or</B>
My friend, wearing a blue dress, was there with her mother.<BR>
<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The children stared at the horses. The horses were ready to start.<BR>
&nbsp; <B>or</B> The children stared at the horses, which were ready to start.<BR>
<BR>
See <A HREF="gramex18.html#3">Exercise 3</A>.<P>
&nbsp;<BR>

<A NAME="3"></A>
<CENTER><B>3. Special uses of It</B></CENTER><BR>

The pronoun <B>it</B> can be used without an antecedent in sentences referring
to general conditions such as the weather or the time.<BR>
e.g. It is raining.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It has been a wet summer.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It is too hot here.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It is the twenty-fourth of April.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It is seven o'clock.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It is Friday.<BR>
<BR>
The pronoun <B>it</B> can also be used in expressions such as the following.<BR>
e.g. It would be a good idea to attend the meeting.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It is not necessary to buy tickets in advance.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It will be easy to find the right house.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It was clever of you to think of that.<BR>
In these sentences, <B>it</B> can be thought of as standing for the infinitive
which follows the verb. The ideas expressed in such sentences may be
expressed without the use of <B>it</B> by changing the infinitive to a gerund,
which is placed before the verb.<BR>
<BR>
For instance, the preceding sentences can be rewritten as follows:<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Attending the meeting would be a good idea.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Buying tickets in advance is not necessary.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Finding the right house will be easy.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Thinking of that was clever of you.<BR>
<BR>
See <A HREF="gramex18.html#4">Exercise 4</A>.<P>
&nbsp;<BR>

<!--page 196-->
<A NAME="4"></A>
<CENTER><B>4. The objective case</B></CENTER><BR>

Objects of verbs have already been discussed in the chapter on
transitive and intransitive verbs. When a personal pronoun is the
object of a verb, the pronoun must be in the objective case. In the
following sentences, the pronouns in the objective case are underlined.<BR>
e.g. They need <U>me</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; We like <U>you</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; They understand <U>him</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I wanted <U>her</U> to help <U>them</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; We mended <U>it</U> yesterday.<BR>
<A NAME="4pp"></A>
<BR>
As shown in the following table, each personal pronoun in the subjective
case has a corresponding form in the objective case.<BR>
<BR>
<CENTER><B>Personal pronouns in the subjective and objective cases</B></CENTER><BR>
<TABLE  border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<TR><TD><U><B>Subjective Case</B></U></TD><TD><U><B>Objective Case</B></U></TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; I</TD><TD>&nbsp; me</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; you</TD><TD>&nbsp; you</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; he</TD><TD>&nbsp; him</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; she</TD><TD>&nbsp; her</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; it</TD><TD>&nbsp; it</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; we</TD><TD>&nbsp; us</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; they</TD><TD>&nbsp; them</TD></TR>
</TABLE>
<BR>
It can be seen that only the personal pronouns <B>you</B> and <B>it</B> have the
same form in the objective case as in the subjective case.<BR>
<BR>
When a personal pronoun is the subject of a verb, the subjective form of
the pronoun must be used.<BR>
e.g. <U>I</U> understand what you mean.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <U>He</U> saw the comet.<BR>
In these sentences, the underlined pronouns are the subjects of the
verbs <B>understand</B> and <B>saw</B>; therefore, the subjective forms <B>I</B> and
<B>he</B> must be used.<BR>
<BR>
When a personal pronoun is the object of a verb, the objective form of
the pronoun must be used.<BR>
e.g. My friends understand <U>me</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; We saw <U>him</U> last night.<BR>
In these sentences, the underlined pronouns are the objects of the verbs
<B>understand</B> and <B>saw</B>; therefore, the objective forms <B>me</B> and <B>him</B>
must be used.<BR>
<BR>
The rules for the agreement of pronouns with their antecedents are the
same for pronouns in the objective case as for the corresponding
pronouns in the subjective case.<BR>
e.g. When your <U>son</U> won the prize, we congratulated <U>him</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Your <U>daughter</U> thinks we have not noticed <U>her</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; When the <U>letter</U> arrived, we answered <U>it</U> immediately.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <U>He and I</U> were right, but no one believed <U>us</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Because the <U>boats</U> were barely moving, we overtook <U>them</U> easily.<BR>

<!--page 197-->
In the preceding sentences, the pronouns <B>him</B>, <B>her</B>, <B>it</B>, <B>us</B>
and <B>them</B> agree with the antecedents <B>son</B>, <B>daughter</B>, <B>letter</B>,
<B>he and I</B> and <B>boats</B>, respectively.<BR>
<BR>
See <A HREF="gramex18.html#5">Exercises 5</A>, <A HREF="gramex18.html#6">6</A> and <A HREF="gramex18.html#7">7</A>.<BR>
<BR>
It should be noted that the verb <B>to be</B> does not take an object. In
formal, written English, when the verb <B>to be</B> is immediately followed
by a personal pronoun, the pronoun must usually be in the subjective case.
In the following examples, the pronouns following the verb <B>to be</B> are
in the subjective case.<BR>
e.g. It is <U>I</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; That was <U>he</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; This is <U>she</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Those are <U>they</U>.<BR>
<BR>
However, in informal English, this rule is usually ignored. In informal
English, when a pronoun immediately follows any verb, including the verb
<B>to be</B>, the objective form of the pronoun is usually used. Thus, in
informal English the sentence <B>It is I</B> would usually be expressed 
<B>It is me</B>, and the sentence <B>That was he</B> would usually be expressed 
<B>That was him</B>.<BR>
<BR>
See <A HREF="gramex18.html#8">Exercise 8</A>.<BR>
<A NAME="4ob"></A>
<BR>
As well as being used as the objects of verbs, personal pronouns in the
objective case are used as objects of prepositions. <B>Prepositions</B> are
words such as <B>at</B>, <B>in</B>, <B>on</B>, <B>to</B> and <B>with</B>. A preposition links
the words immediately following it to the rest of the
sentence.<BR>
<BR>
A noun or pronoun which forms part of a prepositional phrase is said
to be the <B>object</B> of the preposition. For instance, the underlined
pronouns in the following examples are objects of prepositions.<BR>
e.g. Please give the book to <U>me</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; We have heard a great deal about <U>you</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; They went with <U>him</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I bought a present for <U>her</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He walked across <U>it</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The cake was made by <U>us</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Here is a letter from <U>them</U>.<BR>
In the preceding examples, the underlined pronouns are the objects
of the prepositions <B>to</B>, <B>about</B>, <B>with</B>, <B>for</B>, <B>across</B>, <B>by</B> and
<B>from</B>.<BR>
<BR>
See <A HREF="gramex18.html#9">Exercises 9</A> and <A HREF="gramex18.html#10">10</A>.<P>
&nbsp;<BR>

<!--page 198-->
<A NAME="5"></A>
<CENTER><B>5. Possessive personal pronouns</B></CENTER><BR>

Each of the personal pronouns has forms which indicate possession.
For instance, in the following sentences, the underlined words are the
possessive forms of personal pronouns.<BR>
e.g. This is <U>your</U> book.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; This book is <U>yours</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <U>His</U> apartment is large, but <U>mine</U> is small.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <U>Their</U> marks are higher than <U>ours</U>.<BR>
<A NAME="5pp"></A>
<BR>
The subjective, objective and possessive forms of the English personal
pronouns are shown in the following table.<BR>
<BR>
<TABLE width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<TR><TD><U><B>Subjective Case</B></U></TD><TD><U><B>Objective Case</B></U></TD><TD><U><B>Possessive Form used before a Noun</B></U></TD><TD><U><B>Possessive Form used Independently</B></U></TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; I</TD><TD>&nbsp; me</TD><TD>&nbsp; my</TD><TD>&nbsp; mine</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; you</TD><TD>&nbsp; you</TD><TD>&nbsp; your</TD><TD>&nbsp; yours</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; he</TD><TD>&nbsp; him</TD><TD>&nbsp; his</TD><TD>&nbsp; his</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; she</TD><TD>&nbsp; her</TD><TD>&nbsp; her</TD><TD>&nbsp; hers</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; it</TD><TD>&nbsp; it</TD><TD>&nbsp; its</TD><TD>&nbsp; [its]</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; we</TD><TD>&nbsp; us</TD><TD>&nbsp; our</TD><TD>&nbsp; ours</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; they</TD><TD>&nbsp; them</TD><TD>&nbsp; their</TD><TD>&nbsp; theirs</TD></TR>
</TABLE>
<BR>

<A NAME="5a"></A>
<B>a. Possessive adjectives</B><BR>
As shown in the preceding table, the personal pronouns have two possessive
forms. One form shows possession by preceding a noun. A personal pronoun
in this form may be referred to as a <B>possessive adjective</B>, since, like
an adjective, it describes the thing to which the noun refers.<BR>
<BR>
In the following sentences, the possessive adjectives are underlined.<BR>
e.g. <U>My</U> bicycle is new.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Does <U>your</U> uncle play hockey?<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <U>His</U> answer was correct.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <U>Her</U> father is not here.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The tree has lost two of <U>its</U> branches.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He is <U>our</U> friend.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <U>Their</U> house is one block from the school.<BR>
<A NAME="5aag"></A>
<BR>
The rules for the agreement of personal pronouns with their antecedents
also apply to the corresponding possessive adjectives. In languages
such as French and Spanish, possessive adjectives agree with the nouns
they precede. However, in English, possessive adjectives agree with
their antecedents, as illustrated in the following table.<BR>
<BR>

<!--page 199-->
<CENTER><B>Agreement of English Possessive Adjectives with their Antecedents</B></CENTER><BR>
<TABLE  border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<TR><TD><U><B>Antecedent</B></U></TD><TD><U><B>Possessive Adjective</B></U></TD><TD><U><B>Example</B></U></TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; boy</TD><TD>&nbsp; his</TD><TD>&nbsp; The <U>boy</U> obeys <B>his</B> mother.</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; girl</TD><TD>&nbsp; her</TD><TD>&nbsp; The <U>girl</U> likes <B>her</B> brothers.</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; bird</TD><TD>&nbsp; its</TD><TD>&nbsp; The <U>bird</U> sat on <B>its</B> nest.</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; cows</TD><TD>&nbsp; their</TD><TD>&nbsp; The <U>cows</U> have lost <B>their</B> way.</TD></TR>
</TABLE>
<BR>
In the preceding examples, the antecedents are underlined, and the
possessive adjectives are printed in bold type.<BR>
<BR>
See <A HREF="gramex18.html#11">Exercise 11</A>.
<BR>
<BR>

<A NAME="5a1"></A>
<B>i. Possessive adjectives used with gerunds</B><BR>
In formal English, when a
gerund is preceded by a personal pronoun, the pronoun must usually be
in the form of a possessive adjective. In the following examples, the
gerunds are underlined, and the possessive adjectives are printed in
bold type.<BR>
e.g. The boy said that <B>his</B> <U>skating</U> had improved.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The girl entertained the guests with <B>her</B> <U>singing</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; We think <B>our</B> <U>lobbying</U> for new street lights will be effective.<BR>
<BR>
See <A HREF="gramex18.html#12">Exercise 12</A>.<BR>
<BR>

<A NAME="5b"></A>
<B>b. Possessive pronouns</B><BR>
The possessive form of a personal pronoun which can be used independently
can be referred to as a <B>possessive pronoun</B>, since it can be used in
the place of a noun. In the following sentences, the possessive pronouns
are underlined.<BR>
e.g. He did not bring his coat, but I brought <U>mine</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Our mail has been delivered, but <U>theirs</U> has not.<BR>
In the above examples, <B>mine</B> stands for <B>my coat</B>, and <B>theirs</B> stands
for <B>their mail</B>.
<BR>
<BR>
The following table compares the possessive pronouns with the possessive
adjectives. It can be seen that only <B>his</B> and <B>its</B> have the same form
when used as pronouns as when used as adjectives. The possessive pronoun
<B>its</B> is seldom used.<BR>
<BR>
<TABLE  border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<TR><TD><U><B>Possessive Adjective</B></U></TD><TD><U><B>Possessive Pronoun</B></U></TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; my</TD><TD>&nbsp; mine</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; your</TD><TD>&nbsp; yours</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; his</TD><TD>&nbsp; his</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; her</TD><TD>&nbsp; hers</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; its</TD><TD>&nbsp; [its]</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; our</TD><TD>&nbsp; ours</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; their</TD><TD>&nbsp; theirs</TD></TR>
</TABLE>
<A NAME="5bit"></A>
<BR>

<!--page 200-->
Except for the pronoun <B>mine</B>, all of the possessive pronouns end in <B>s</B>. However, it should be noted that, unlike possessive
nouns, the possessive personal pronouns are not spelled with an apostrophe.
Care should be taken not to confuse the possessive form <B>its</B> with the contraction <B>it's</B>, which stands for <B>it is</B> or
<B>it has</B>.<BR>
<BR>
In the following sentences, the possessive personal pronouns are underlined.<BR>
e.g. That book is <U>mine</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Are these gloves <U>yours</U>?<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The red bicycle is <U>his</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Because I forgot my umbrella, she lent me <U>hers</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Their teacher is stricter than <U>ours</U>.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Our teacher is relaxed, but <U>theirs</U> is short-tempered.<BR>
<BR>
See <A HREF="gramex18.html#13">Exercises 13</A> and <A HREF="gramex18.html#14">14</A>.<P>
&nbsp;<BR>

<A NAME="6"></A>
<CENTER><B>6. Reflexive Pronouns</B></CENTER><BR>

Reflexive pronouns are often used when the action described by the verb is directed toward the thing referred to by the subject of the verb.
This use of reflexive pronouns is illustrated in the following examples.
The reflexive pronouns are underlined.<BR>
e.g. I washed <U>myself</U> thoroughly before putting on clean clothes.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Did you hurt <U>yourself</U>?<BR>
<BR>
Reflexive pronouns can also be used when it is desired to emphasize a personal pronoun.
The reflexive pronouns in the following examples are underlined.<BR>
e.g. I <U>myself</U> saw what happened.<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Did he solve the problem <U>himself</U>?<BR>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; She did the work <U>herself</U>.<BR>
In these examples, the reflexive pronouns <B>myself</B>, <B>himself</B> and <B>herself</B> are used to emphasize the personal pronouns <B>I</B>, <B>he</B> and <B>she</B>.<BR>
<A NAME="6re"></A>
<BR>
The reflexive personal pronouns are listed below.<BR>
<BR>
<TABLE  border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<TR><TD><U><B>Subjective Case</B></U></TD><TD><U><B>Reflexive Pronoun</B></U></TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; I</TD><TD>&nbsp; myself</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; you</TD><TD>&nbsp; yourself</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; he</TD><TD>&nbsp; himself</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; she</TD><TD>&nbsp; herself</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; it</TD><TD>&nbsp; itself</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; we</TD><TD>&nbsp; ourselves</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; you</TD><TD>&nbsp; yourselves</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; they</TD><TD>&nbsp; themselves</TD></TR>
</TABLE>
<BR>
It can be seen that in the second person, a differentiation is made between <B>yourself</B>, which agrees with singular antecedents,
and <B>yourselves</B>, which agrees with plural antecedents.<BR>
<BR>

<!--page 201-->
It should be noted that the first and second person reflexive pronouns
are formed from the corresponding possessive adjectives, whereas the third
person reflexive pronouns are formed from the corresponding pronouns in
the objective case. This is illustrated in the following table.<BR>
<BR>
<TABLE  border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<TR><TD><U><B>Objective Case</B></U></TD><TD><U><B>Possessive Adjective</B></U></TD><TD><U><B>Reflexive Pronoun</B></U></TD></TR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; me</TD><TD>&nbsp; <B>my</B></TD><TD>&nbsp; <B>my</B>self<BR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; you</TD><TD>&nbsp; <B>your</B></TD><TD>&nbsp; <B>your</B>self<BR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; <B>him</B></TD><TD>&nbsp; his</TD><TD>&nbsp; <B>him</B>self<BR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; <B>her</B></TD><TD>&nbsp; hers</TD><TD>&nbsp; <B>her</B>self<BR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; <B>it</B></TD><TD>&nbsp; its</TD><TD>&nbsp; <B>it</B>self<BR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; us</TD><TD>&nbsp; <B>our</B></TD><TD>&nbsp; <B>our</B>selves<BR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; you</TD><TD>&nbsp; <B>your</B></TD><TD>&nbsp; <B>your</B>selves<BR>
<TR><TD>&nbsp; <B>them</B></TD><TD>&nbsp; their</TD><TD>&nbsp; <B>them</B>selves<BR>
</TABLE><BR>
<BR>
See <A HREF="gramex18.html#15">Exercise 15</A>.

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